A look at Heroes
*(Power point images found in the desktop on the media computer they are in order)
GI JOE (humorous)
Rescue Heroes (humorous)
Local Heroes and Memorial (shift to serious)
9/11 Heroes and Memorial (serious)
The Military forces Heroes and Memorials (serious)
A Hero Exemplified
*(Power point picture of Pat Tillman)
Pat Tillman
-Faith is uncertain
-Actions are commendable
-His Story
>He wasn’t the biggest guy 5’ 11” They said he was to small to linebacker, but he did anyway.
>Went To Arizona state University, sat on bench the first year of football
>Due to his dedication and rugged play he became defensive player of the year 1997
>He graduated in 3 and a half years with a 3.84 GPA
>In 1998 He was the 226th person picked in the draft by the Cardinals
>He played free safety, some said he was to slow to play that position
>In the year 2000 he started all 16 games and had 224 tackles
>Turned don a 3.5 million dollar contract from the Rams to stay with the cardinals for a little over 500,000$
>He ran a triathlon in 2001 before the season
>After 9/11 in May of 2002 he told his coach he was going to join the army
>He joined the Army rangers wit his brothers
>He died a couple weeks in an ambush out side Iraqi
>Now the country honors him as a hero
Why is he a hero?
Was it because he could do anything he put his mind to?
Was it because he beat all odds when he was here in the states playing ball?
Was it because he had the discipline to do what he knew was going to be difficult but because of his conviction, and did it anyway?
Was it because he wanted no flashbulbs no movies no publicity as he left to join the army?
Was it because he had a good reputation with those around him?
Was it because he died for others so they could have the freedom?
-To all these questions you could answer yes.
And to these entire questions is the reason he is a hero. If you notice every hero is made of the same thing. It’s what I would like to call the ingredients of a hero.
The Ingredients of a Hero
Selflessness + Humility + Service + Death=Hero
Selflessness: Pat Tillman thought about the cause before him and acted on his conviction. He left everything, money, family, NFL carrier, to do what he thought he should. Larry Marmie a former player of Pat’s said “Tillman felt the need to “Pay something back” for the comfortable life he had been afforded.”
Humility: Pat never wanted to be recognized as anything special. A quote from The Daily Collegian reads “If Pat Tillman were watching, he would most likely disapprove of the proposed plan to dedicate the entire upcoming NFL season to him. And certainly would object to columns such as this, which make him out to be a hero” A former teammate Dave Barrett said this about Pat “what other person so you know who would give up a life in the NFL to defend what he believe, That is humility.” The senior writer for sports illustrated Tim Layden said, “Pat was the kind of guy who would rather have played football in a parking lot than in a stadium with 100,000 people watching”
Service: He felt the need to serve others with the gifts he had, as well as serve his country. The commissioner of the NFL Paul Tagliabue said in a statement. “Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the NFL. He was an achiever and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community, and his country ahead of his personal interests.”
Death: To be a hero not everyone has to die. But when one dies for the beliefs they so firmly hold true to, one can’t help but acknowledge them.
In looking at Pat Tillman you find the qualities that make him a Hero. Like all the other men he will be remembered. But know let me tell about another hero. Who like Pat left everything he had, thought of others as important, never was wrapped up in himself, and also died for a cause he believed in. Jesus.
Jesus’ perspective was everything: The right perspective showed what mattered to him
He didn’t have to come he chose to come leaving a perfectly safe environment where he was honored and revered
“Though he was God he did not demand and cling to His rights as God. He made himself nothing…” Philippians 2:6
Jesus became a servant: Serving became his mission and life style
He came to serve his people with the abilities that he had
“But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first must become a slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20: 26-28
Jesus was humble: Humility defined his character
He never sought to lift himself up that was Gods job.
“If you exalt yourself you will be humble, but if you humble yourself you will be exalted” Matthew23:12
“So at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the father.” Philippians 2:10-11
Jesus death fulfilled His cause: In death his cause was fulfilled
Dying meant that we have a chance to have a relationship with God and live with in freedom with him forever
“He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone this is the message God gave to the world.” I Timothy 2:6
“He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.” Romans 4:25
Christ’s Memorial
Where is the memorial for Christ; our hero?
What’s the memorial for Christ? You
Christ’s memorial is our lives; our actions our behaviors our attitudes.
Just like all the statues, plaques, crosses, walls, tombs represent the solders who have died for the cause of this great nation
We represent who he is and what he did on the Cross. Our actions are the memorial of a king who didn’t have to die but did because he loved us.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “And, all of us have had the veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are Christ’s ambassador, and God is using us to speak to you.”
authored: Doug Varella
